driving i've ever done >> eventhough i can't see... >> techknow our experts take you beyond the lab >> we're here in the vortex... >> and explore the technology changing our world. only on al jazeera america >> chile rocked by a massive 8.2 magnitude earthquake, sparking fears of a tsunami. sending hundreds of thousands fleeing for higher ground. >> protesters and police go head to head in greece. mobs of people willing to take tear gas and stun grenades. >> an up-close look at the devastation in washington state.

the dangers cruisers facing while digging through tonnes of tox toxic debris. >> dear rachel. how are you? >> a lot of tanks is given to autistic children. what happens when they grow up. a look at efforts to help adults with autism lead normal lives. good morning and welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. a powerful earthquake rocked the south american country of chile triggering mass evacuations and tsunami warnings. the 8.2 quake hit off the coast, causing landslides, knocked out power and caused 6 foot high swells. five people have been killed. the country's president issued a

state of emergency and deployed anti-riot police and soldiers. hundreds of thousands were ordered to evacuate along coastal cities. as thomas drayton shows, in some ways it was business as usual in a region that deals with earthquakes regularly. >> it's the sound they have been rehearsing for. when residents across chile's north coast heard the sirens, they knew what to do. head to higher ground. many clogged roads with cars as others calmly travelled on foot to surrounding hills and mountains. the warn was triggered by a powerful 8.2 magnitude earthquake, centered 60 miles from the chilean city of iqui e iquique, but felt as far away as bolivia in peru. >> you could feel the wall and

the floor move. there's a tent in a verandah back in the garden, and you could see that moving back and forth. >> government officials in chile confirmed a number of deaths. some victims of heart attacks, others crushed by collapsing walls. chile's president says every step is being taken to ensure civilian safety. the first of the tsunami waves hit the coast within 45 minutes, with swells as high as six feet. >> it may come in several steps of waves separated by a number of minutes apart. you never know where the biggest wave sequence will be, sometimes the first, sometimes the third, sometimes the fifth. >> it's the unpredictable nature of the waves that at one point sparked a tsunami warning along south america - from chile to columbia and into mexico. the warnings have been cancelled or downgraded.

>> everyone... >> the shaking caused landslides, knocked out power for thousands and started fires. it's the preparation and quick response. it was a region prone to earth quacts that was credited with minimal loss of lives. >> throughout the 21st century, few measured an 8th. when they have, they've done major damage. >> good morning, since two there has been more than 300 yaicts around the world. of those, 16 have been eight or higher on the richter scale. a recent one happened off the coast of chile, in february 2010. it had a magnitude of 8.8, claiming 525 lies. the quake triggered a tsunami. it was powerful, damaging as far north as san diego. the epicentre was two meals off

the coast of the south pacific ocean. another earthquake happened a year later. measuring 9.0, killing 18,000 people. since that happened under water, it resulted in another deadly tsunami, causing flooding and landslides. it shifted the earth's access by four inches. the epicentre was 40 miles offshore. there was an earthquake that happened in the center of the country. it was an 8.0 and took 70,000 lives. the eastern sich wan province was devastated, leaving 5 million homeless, affecting 15 million. strong aftershocks were felt for months, doing damage. a destructive earthquake happened a day after christmas, off the coast of indonesia, measuring 9.1, triggering a

monster tsunami killing 3,000 people. it was a natural disaster. killing people in 14 different countries. it was the third largest earthquake recorded. the most devastating earthquake is the one that raffished haiti in 2010. it killed 316,000, affecting 3 million, barely measuring a seven on the richter scale. >> we'll bring you the latest on the earthquake this chile throughout the morning. >> a day after getting grilled in the congressional hearing, mary borro is set for round 2. mary barra apologised for the failure to recall an ignition switch leading to dozens of crashes and 13 deaths. libby casey indicated that g.m. is considering paying damages to the victims. >> you swear the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but

the truth. >> i do. >> it was a grilling by the how's energy and commerce subcommittee. >> what you answered is gobbledygook, it's your own specification, your company's ification, if a part doesn't make the specification, why in the world would you not refuse it? >> congress wanted to know why g.m. installed faulty ignition switches that didn't meet spk, and why thet didn't act sooner when customers and tech minister reported ignition problems, power, brakes, air bags failing. linked to 13 deaths. >> i want to show how easy it is to turn the key in this switch. if you had a heavy key chain like my mum key chain or if you were short and bumped up against the ignition with your knee, it could cause this key to switch

off. despite all the questions, members of congress heard a reframent from mary barra, that she wouldn't have answers. >> you don't know why they didn't replace a switch on the old cars. >> i do not know the answer. that's why we are doing the investigation. >> given the complaints, why was this not identified as a safety issue. >> i can't answer questions at this point in time. that's why we are doing a full investigation. >> mary barra is a second-generation emlow and has been at the helm since january. they have created a position to oversee global safety. representative called it underwhelming. >> i'm talking about responsibility and liability. is the company responsible? >> the new g.m., is it responsible. >> we will make the best

decisions about our customers, recognising that we have legal obligations as well as moral obligations. it wasn't the g.m. c.e.o., congress is asking why the federal government's national highway traffic administration failed to act soon are. >> what is the problem. did g.m. not report the information that the law required. or was n.h.t.s.a. enable to sort through the information that it had. >> we worked hard to understand what was happening and wasn't able to see a significant enough trend or defect. >> the questions continue wednesday when the annate takes a turn digging in to what the government knew about the company's problems. >> now for more on today's senate hearing, we are joined by pingts. there was a -- randall pinkston. >> there was a lack of specific answers. what can we expect to learn today on day two? >> i expect we will hear what we

heard on day one. she'll insist that g.m. conducts its own investigation, that she kont provide details on the findings of that investigation, and i suspect that she'll get another tough criminaling from members of the senate. >> mary barra hinted in the testimony that the company is getting ready for claims filed by victims. what more can you tell us about what they are manning to do. >> she -- planning to do. >> she announced that the company retained the services of feinberg, an arbitrator in chief. he handled compensation funds for katrina, the oil spill, and disasters affecting a large number of victims. mary barra did not announce the substantiate of a compensation fund. she acknowledged civic and legal responsibilities, and said fine

burg would assist g.m. in determining what the responsibilities are, but pointedly did not commit to compensating the victims. that was a point she was weres the on several times in the house hearing. >> on that note. families of the victims gathered outside the hearing. let's hear what some of them had to say. >> our daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, wives and husbands are gone because they were a cost of doing business g.m. style. >> what are the victims' families asking and hoping for? >> they want answers. they want to know the same thing both committees of congress want to know - which is why did it take g.m. so long to acknowledge and fix the problem, even though they knew the ignition switch had problems 10 years ago. and the other question is once

they decided to fix it, why didn't they fix it for all the vehicles. it was striking to note in her opening statement that mary barra announced that only recently has g.m. employed a manufacturer to make the parts to fix the switches for all the cars that are still on the road. this is 2014 - what took so long to authorise the manufacturing of the parts. of course, the explanation is that many of the cars are no longer in application. that is beside the point. it would seem to victims and their families. >> thank you randall pinkston, reporting to us from washington. >> secretary of state john kerry had planned to be in ramallah today but cancelled the trip after a surprise decision by the palestine president. john kerry was in jrz monday after -- jerusalem monday after the talks were cancelled. nick schifrin is in jerusalem.

good morning, at one point on tuesday there were reports of an emerging deal shaping up. what suddenly threw that off track? >> it is very rare for the palestines in these peace talks to take the initiative. that is what they did last night. it's up to israel to respond. with the stroke of a pen, palestine president mahmoud abbas fulfilled the desire of many palestinians that helped bring the peace process to the verbal of collapse. the current round of peace talks were conditioned on palestinians not doing this. abbas accused the israelis of procrastinating. he wasn't willing to wait. >> we don't want to use this against anyone. we don't want to clash with the u.s. administration. we are on good terms with all. u.s. is helping us.

we met john kerry 39 titles. we didn't find alternatives, this is the right. the documents ratified were: >> the treaties signed are irreversible. they cannot be reversed and will not be reversed. it's a serious matter. we are consolidating the status of palestine as an independent state. >> under occupation. >> the palestinians argue that israel create d the crisis. now the decision is israels. is it willing to continue the talks before mahmoud abbas's announcements. it's up to the u.s. to convince them. there has to been an intervention by the international community, spelling out american policy

attractive to both sides. >> to launch the process secretary of state john kerry made it his parm mission. he met with israel why and palestine leaders. to keep the talks going he was willing to consider releasing american jonathan pollard sentenced to life for spying on america for his rail. despite the crisis, john kerry asked israel to keep talking. none of the agencies that president abbas signed involved the u.n. none of them. president abbas gave hits word to me that he'll keep his agreement and intends to negotiate through the end of the month of april. >> when the u.s. started the process, they promised a final piece and backtracked talking about a framework for future talks. they are scrambling to save the

talks and extend them. it's not clear it will be possible to do that. they are on the brink of falling apart. nick schifrin for us in al jazeera. >> malaysia's national police chief said they may never be able to determine what happened to flight mh370. chinese relatives attended a briefing through kuala lumpur held by the malaysian government. it was flying from kuala lumpur to beijing, with 239 on board, more than three weeks ago. the australian prime minister pledged his country would search for as long as possible. >> nearly two weeks of wading through waist-deep debris. >> working in a septic tank almost, if you will, of material. >> a walk through the town buried alive by a mudslide. some of the up-close pictures of the devastation. protesters in greece banned from entering down tv town athens,

why they are so mad about a plan. >> it's a job. what else. what else do we have. >> autism took most of the words out of his mouth. >> this man communicating in a way we can't. >> it's annoying, sensitive and rude. most of us do it anyway. find out if you were guilty of digital self-respect. [ male announcer ] it's here -- xfinity watchathon week,

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>> a live look at lady liberty from jersey city new jersey this morning. good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. cameras and a look at the surf conditions. >> let's get a look at the forecast meteorologist nicole mitchell is here. >> we have a couplof things to talk about. lady liberty may want to keep the umbrella handy. some of the rain could make it

through the coastline for cities like new york. a chance tore rain. keep it handy, and we have the west coast, nice moisture. mathew santos is getting rain. all of last night, the wettest month. as we continue off, the big thing we are concerned about is the area that we have in the mid section of the country. a lot of moisture funnelling in from the coast. dynamics, cold front, cold air. a dry line setting up. it's more of a pattern for severe weather. with or without the severe weather, rain missouri, illinois, snow in the dakotas, and the risk for severe weather. primary risk is hail, damaging winds and isolated tornados can't be ruled out. part of that is that warm air that we'll see across the region

fuelling all of that. look at the temperatures on the different side of this. 75 in memphis. 45 in chicago. tomorrow the risk enhancers more. so a higher risk for places like missouri. in a snow tomorrow on the northern side of this. >> new satellite images shows the path of destruction caused by the massive mudslide in the united states. the image was taken on march 31st. released on tuesday. the death toll from the mud slide at 28 with 20 other people missing. allen schauffler got an up-close look at the enormous scale of the disaster. >> are they ready to go? >> it's the first time they've been this close. >> lieutenant rich bourke leads us past the staging area, tacking of the many hazards. no one comes out of the field until they are decontaminated.

we don't want a tetanus, we had a bit of dysentery, just from folks again, working in a septic tank, if you will, of material. the whole thing blew out of the mountains, far across the river, rocketing down through the valley. this is the western edge of the slide. this is where highway 530 ends. all of the slurry material, water, mud and slime sloshed up on the hill and came back down to rest. there are areas here that are still 60 to 80 feet deep. >> one of things that strikes you is while we have been on the periphery on the outside of this thing, for a week and half think of the folks that have been here every day work, in this environment. you know, all of the folks have real jobs that they go out to. the chief is a mason and a carpenter. the assistant chief runs a facility. >> another indicator that normal

life will resume here at some point. >> they'll go back to the regular lives, but they don't leave the community. born and bred here. the strength will hold the community together. it's amazing. >> a couple of days ago we talked to steve bloom, living that way on the end of the slide. all of a sudden he lived on a dead end road with a cemetery at the end of it. that's the cemetery. >> as the recovery work continues, symbols of strength emerged, a tattered flag pauled in. another half staff at the only surviving saidar tree at this sector of the slide. into >> it's a bottom line lesson, nature trumps, gravity lives. no matter the speculation how human being contributed, i keep

comi coming back to nature trumps. >> washington governor inslee said the mudslide and flooding caused $32 million in dams. that figure including $10 million in emergency measures, including rescues, shelter operations and the ongoing recovery. >> washington d.c.'s incumbent mayor conceded the democratic primary. the outcome of the hotly contested race may have been affected by a scandal surrounding gray. last month's federal prosecutors accused him of using the funding to win the mayor's race. he denied wrongdoing. bowser is a council member in d.c. >> volkswagen may have been bribed to keep a plant from becoming a union shop. a report says tennessee republicans offered the automaker nearly $300 in grants and tax credits.

the package of incentives was in exchange for keeping the union out of their chattanooga factory. the united auto workers lost the vote and filed an appeal. tennessee's governor said the money was not tide to the vote and his opposition of the union has never been a secret. >> 3,000 flights have been grounded by loouthan sea over a dispute over retirement benefits. it's one of the biggest, costing tens of millions to the airline. >> chrysler is recalling nearly 870,000 s.u.v.s, the recall effecting jeep grand cherokees from damage from 2011 to 2014. they say that corrosion may make the brakes harder to use. the company knows of one accident, but no injuries. we'll get fresh clues on the health of the labour market.

private sector employment report is released. it's expected to show a gain. the quality of jobs is a big concern. >> what we are seeing is a 30 year low in terms of the percentage of americans that are working. that should be a concern for everyone. the other thing that we have to take account to is full-time workers. the number spiked up. >> the report is a prelude to closely watched monthly jobs reports, it's not always an accurate predictor. do you futures are up 29 points ahead of the report on private sector jobs. the do you started the day and now stands at a new record. the nasdaq was at 42.68. yesterday's wall street started the market. it led the advance up 1% hiking

a new 3-week high. the market higher. >> president obama has fn denying it from day one. he may have been misleading americans. taking communion on the mexican border. it was not just a field trip. >> it's like a living death sentence, a lot of people tried to take themselves occupy. >> it feels like the end of the line for those on the inside of a prison-like facility. you may not be sympathetic when you find out why the men are living there. >> injuries are sabotaging tiger woods. why he won't be going for another green jacket this year.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy, these are the top story. >> an 8.2 magnitude quake hit on

the coast of chile. hundreds of thousands ordered to evacuate due to early tsunami concerns. general motors is facing a second round of testimony, mary barra is under fire for the handling over a recall on faulty ignition switches leading to crashes and deaths. mary barra apologised, saying the company is ready to handle future claims for victims. malaysia's police chief say they may never be able to determine what happened to the missing plane. flight mh370 was flying from kuala lumpur to beijing when it disappeared with 239 people on board. that was three weeks ago. foreign ministers on n.a.t.o. met in belgium, discussing repercussions. the result was a suspension of military cooperation. increasing its military presence

in central and eastern europe. it was called the worst threat to europe in a generation. >> what does this many for russia, this ending of military cooperation. >> i think russiaed's response, stance will become more and more clearer in the coming hours, in the coming days. what we have heard already coming out of moscow are some more drensive somewhat critical statements. dmitri, russia's deputy prime minister scribds the efforts as something of an april fools joke and the alliance has been accused of cold war tactics. are he mocks the plans saying the expense of moving hardware is an expense passed on to

european taxpayers. defensive comments coming from the russians. as far as the alliance is concerned. they are not phased by the comments. they really want to see actions, they want to see deeds. this morning there has been a strong warning mentioned by the leader of europe's ally command. the top general here in europe representing the alliance, warned that russia could, within three to five days, annex the whole of eastern ukraine. that is a worrying situation. >> this coming from the general, who head strong statements in the past couple of weeks about russia's troops on the border. >> how different is the response from n.a.t.o., compared to earlier sanctions by the u.s. and e.u. nations. how much weight does it carry in moscow.

it differs to some of the other punitive measures that have been made against russia to bring them into line. the americans described this as visible reassurance, mainly to assure those eastern european states, some of them, some of the newest members of n.a.t.o., that essentially the alliance has their back, while russia lacks transparency about political aims. the nations first and foremost want to know that they are safe. k, there are still -- of course, there are some issues to be ironed out as to what n.a.t.o. will contribute to the state. on 15 april the general will come back here to n.a.t.o. headquarters and present a package of different options. n.a.t.o. will vote, but the clear message from the alines in brussels is that n.a.t.o. is poised to handle any kind of aggression, any kind of military

or political ambitions incurring into n.a.t.o. space. >> clashes broke out in greece after the e.u. approved another bailout for the country. police in athens used tear gas to stop union workers from interrupting the meeting. they approved an $11.4 billion bailout. greece receives 8.6 billion in april. the country is suffering through another bailout. >> immigration reform legislation has been installed in congress for months. democrats are divided on the issue. catholic bishops gathered along the u.s. border. part of an effort to put the spotlight on immigration reform. paul beban was there. >> at first glance the two sides don't look that different.

dusty streets and faded buildings. they are, of course, worlds apart. tuesday morning hundreds gathered along the fence dividing the border town. on the arizona side, boston's cardinal made a plea for comprehensive immigration reform. america at its best was not the bigotry and the xenophobia and the no nothings, but the generous welcome and the new collo suss, the woman with the tavern, the statue of liberty who stands as the notes are of ex-isles in new york harbour. >> an emotional communion, bishops giving blessings through the bars into the hands and mouths of the faithful, all the while on the mexican side immigration reform activists

gathered around this man. he stole himself for a short but perilous journey. he came to the u.s. in 1999 when he was 14. he was deported in february following a dui. he walked to a border station a block from the mass asking more humanitarian parole while his case was repealed, asking to be reunited with his fiancee and parents. >> what do you think your chances are of getting across the border today? >> i have faith this everything will be okay. i don't know how long i will be detained. i don't know how long the process will be. i have faith that everything will be okay. i hope that they can listen to our - to our - to what we are asking. >> the scene was chaotic. cameras crowding into the tight corridor of the border station as he was taken once again into custody. we spoke to his lawyer a couple

of hours after the metal gate came down and he had grossed into mexico. he within trend into a customs enforcement processing center south of the phone im. that's where they'll stay while hits case moves forward. that could take days or weeks. >> the interest in immigration is nothing new for the catholic church. the u.s. catholic church of catholic bishops launched justice for migrants initiative. president obama discussed the issue the the vatican during his first meeting. in a programming note about al jazeera america's series "borderland", retracing six americans retracing the footsteps of three migrants who died crossing into the u.s. >> the national security agency confirmed it searched americans

emails and calls without warrants. the director of national intelligence says the n.s.a. used a backdoor loophole in the law to screen communications. the obama administration denied monitoring of the u.s. citizens, despite documents leaked by n.s.a. contractor edward snowden, that said otherwise. clapper did not say how many searches had been performed or when they took place. >> half of the states in this country has laws, allowing a person to be locked up and held for a crime they haven't committed. it's called civil commitment. florida is using it to keep sex offenders off the streets. >> it's wrapped in sky high barbed wire. no one goes in or gets out voluntarily. this is not a prison. david, who spent 4.5 years here and asked you wills to con -- asked us to conceal his identity said it's worse. >> it's like a civil death center.

>> this is where the violent sexual predators go after serving prison sentences. the men are here because they are deemed too dangerous to walk the streets. the people that we kept at the center are likely to have committed any number of horrible violent, traumatic innocences against victims. there's no price, if you save one child being victimized, giving them the opportunity to seek the treatment they need. >> this is a civil, not a criminal process. once the prison term ends, a team of evaluators determines if they meet a specific criteria, including if they suffer a mental abnormality, predisposing them from committing another sex crime. they undergo intense psychiatric treatment unavailable in prison. they remain there indefinitely until a judge or jury believes they are not a danger to society. >> donald james smith was

considered a prime canned dapt, becoming a prime commax of the systems loopholes. he was a registered sex forned. he spent three years in a civil commitment facility before a judge released him. last june, three weeks after smith walked out of a gaol, he raped and strappingleded an 8-year-old. >> an 8-year-old girl is dead. >> through her organization lauren's kids, she pushed for a tougher lawyer. with it all violent prisoners will be evaluated. fewer recommendations will be needed to commit. these sexual dooefient individuals are far away from our children as humanly possible. so far 300 offenders are released from the civil commitment program. the program is designed to keep people from getting out.

a convicted rapist who spent 4.5 years in limbo, when he got a trial a jury released him. of 650 men at the facility, 72 are awaiting commitment hearings. >> it's grades -- crazy, everything i'm doing violates rights. residents wait for the civil trials because mounting a defense takes time, adding delays are not the program's fault. cantor estimates since the state began to commit the predators, it likely saved thousands becoming their victims. it was not enough to save cherish perry winkle. >> florida's governor signed several bills creating a mandatory sentences for people who raped children under 12. it is double the mandatory

sentence for the most violent offenders. >> john henry smith is here with more on the ailing tiger woods. >> good morning. perhaps because the announcement came on the first day of the fourth month you thought it was an april fool's joke. it was jont. tiger woods is -- wasn't. tiger woods is going to miss the masters. he'll be recovering from back surgery to repair a pinched nerve. tiger will not compete for the first time in 20 years. in a statement woods says his goal is to return to competitive coastal some time this summer. the u.s. open starts june 12th. here is what else tiger had to say: well, to football.

it didn't take a week. a mere five days after the eels released him, du shun jackson is a washington red skin. they skyped the receive -- signed the receiver to a 3-year deal. washington was the only team jackson visited and he's been there since monday meeting with team players and coaches. he had to refute a report that he might be a gang member. jackson is coming off his best season as a pro. >> the darren jeeta farewell tour was rolling as the yankees and avt rals became the last two teams to open up their seasons. in his unofficial he managed to get hit by a pitch. it was thrown at him on his first plate appearance. where is the respect. ccabathia comes off a year giving off more run, gunning for the top spot.

>> more gas poured on the fire. they take some yard, roughing up cc and they score six runs to beat the yankees. >> phillies and yankees tied and taking the rookie to school with the line drive. game-winning run win. 3-2. >> the n.b.a.'s regular seasonnd the day after tax day. it will be a sprint to the finish for teams fighting for their play-off lives. the golden state is one of those teams, list as high as fourth in the west. they win tuesday night in dallas was huge. the splash brothers combined for 50 points, with curry notching a game-winner. the wrars win the series with dallas 3-1, and they have a tie breaker advantage. that's your look at sports for this hour. >> thank you so much.

>> today is world autism day. it is estimated one in 88 children in the u.s. have some form of autism. every year 50,000 of those kids turn 18. parents say they enter a world less support mfiand forgiving. john terrett met several adults learning to entryingate into the communicatius. >> for 26-year-old michael music may be the way he communicates best. as an autistic adult. a talent is singing in different languages. [ sings ] >> you would never think someone with autism can do that, but michael is superb. >> it is communicating in ways that most find normal that doesn't come in any way naturally to michael. >> autism is known as a social

communication disorder. one of the things that is central to autism is having trouble understanding, drawing inferences about what another person thinks and feels. we take for granted how quick and easy it is for us. >> dr jeffrey fox runs abilities first, one of a number of agencies helping autistic adults live independently. assisting 22-year-old paul with shopping. >> what else would you like to get. >> with a centers for disease control showing the numbers of individuals is on the rise, they say society must change. >> people with autism interpret the world. what is important is for employers to under there's value in what folks can do, and we may need at titles to look beyond the atypical behaviours. paul is gaping lifestyle skills

in shopping, michael worked on a farm during the week. good job. >> he has a small job. >> i did this years ago. >> eric is a housemate. a 42-year-old man with autism. he's a gifted artist. what may seem like a simple conversation for most people is something eric has to work on constantly. >> i can hardly make out with that. it's something michael struggled with early on. >> the biggest surprise was my son who couldn't be in a room with other people, he now nonetheless being with people, and he gives to others. proof is in this video. michael sipping and dancing with a group of senior citizens, an outreach program organised by dr myer. >> you're so used in our culture to judge things by our standard

and our sense much normality. it's so engrained in his, we don't realised we do it. back at home michael writes to his sister rachel. >> dear rachel, how are you? i'm fine. thank you. >> people with autism - they have their own version of reality, their own version of normality, it's not better than ours and not worse than ours, and people with autism have an enormous payment to so far us. >> i'm the best day of my life, yes. cool. >> and coming up in the next hour, how some parents are tracking their autistic kids to keep them safe. we've heard of pda or public

displays of faction. most of us are guilty of another obnoxize akronism. epi electronic display of inattention. >> and the ring of fire rumbles to life. why certain places are more prone to

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. ahead - the challenge of putting down your cell phone and other digital devices. it's having an impact on how people spend time with family and friends. but first meteorologist nicole mitchell. >> we are looking at the rain from the great lakes to moisture for south california.

and a severe risk. this is needed rain that we have been seeing in central and southern parts of california, northern. we see it more into this week. higher elevations that will be snow. great news for the snow, but winter driving conditions, believe it or not, that we see today. south of the great lakes, ohio, getting rain this morning. this is moving towards the east coast. it moves through quickly. unless you are under. keep the umbrella handy for the east coast. thenars that's part of the energy over the next couple of days. a chance of severe weather. believe it or not, i'll have more on that. on the northern side of this, another snow storm is brewing that could bring places a foot of snow by the end of the week. back to you. >> you don't have to look far to see we are a distracted society - in restaurants, parties, walking down the street. people are devoted to their cell

phones. the company vital smarts, special itsing in corporate communications and interpersonal skills did a study on eda, electronic displays of insensitivity. 80% believe it's worse than a year ago, despite 90% saying it's wrong to answer texts or social media. 70% say they have witnessed edi at dinner. the vice president of vital smarts is with us, an author and lead research are, joining us centre salt lake city for the digital drill-down. i have my cell phone here when i'm anchoring the show and in between the breaks i check it sometimes. this is a problem, right. the most interesting part of your study is the number of people that say this is affecting our relationships. >> absolutely. two out of three have no idea what to do when their husband, wife, boss, co-worker is so

absorbed in their piece of electronic equipment that they feel ignored or disrespected. >> so it is actually causing a social rift, and yet all of us still do it. why the need to constantly check our devices. >> excuse me, i think i have a text coming in, can i check this. >> am i boring you? >> [ laughs ] >> i think part of the challenge is so much of our technology uses a push, it rings, beeps, signals, telling us, "check me, i have new information", rather than a function where we wait until we are interested and go and check. it's alarmed so we feel we have to respond. >> are we getting something by checking facebook or texts that we are not getting from in-person contact. >> no, i don't think so. i think as human being, we are programmed to look out for the

new, the different, the new thing that is on the horizon for fear that it may be a sabre tooth cat. we look for what is new. when we have an alarm go off, we don't know what it signals. the person in front of us is not about to attack us. there's a thing on the side and we feel we have to check it out. >> are these types of distractions more acceptable to a younger generation used to saying smart phones, is it the new normal? >> actually, that was part of the study we did. we found there are some areas where there's 90% - consensus that we shouldn't do this, in a car, church, at school. during a commercial transaction. there are other places where there's not a consensus. for instance, in a meeting at work. about 60% of us say it's not appropriate to check the email while in a meeting at work.

40% think it's fine, or at a mall. >> you'd never be at a news meeting and not have everyone have their devices on or checking it, because journalists need to be plugged in. >> are the social norms going to emerge in the next generation? >> yes. i think that social norms tend to evolve over time and oftentimes they don't keep up with the technology. so we have been working with lots of fortune 500 companies struggling with things like flaming email, which was a big challenge in the '90s, many of our large clients that had the problem in the '90s, pretty much licked it. what it takes is polite appropriate ways to, in a brief comment, to say what you said as - you know, helpful feedback was not instructive. it might be a way to say it more constructively. as we police each other in

gentle caring ways, they evolve, skills evolve and the problems tend to go down. right now 80% say it's worse than a year ago. my predirection is that as skills develop, the problem will diminish and be replaced by a new problem. >> it reminds you of when families listened to the radio at dinner or leave the tv on at dinner, and those social norms took a while to catch up as well. >> david maxfield, vice president of research at vital smarts in salt lake city. interesting stuff. thank you. >> del walters is a look at what's ahead. >> at the end of the first hour here is what we are following. chile rocked by an 8.2 magnitude earthquake, striking 20 miles off the coast and issuing sun

warnings. >> day 11 for the washington mudslide. >> c.e.o. mary barra facing more questions about the recall of cars involved in the deadly gents. >> effort to make bangladesh clothing factor safer hurting some workers.

>> >> a state of catastrophe in chili, following a massive earthquake. a tsunami never fully materialized. >> our daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, wives and husbands are gone because they were a cost of doing business g.m. style. >> a defect in cars made by general motors, the head of the

automakers face-to-face with congress for a second day in a row. >> a fiery night in athens sparked by a move that's supposed to help the nation's suffering economy. >> comes walking into the building with eight police officers. >> parents worried about autistic children wandering are off may get technology to keep them on track. some say the solution to use g.p.s. tracking devices comes with it's own set of problems. >> mass evaluations ordered in chili after a powerful earthquake rocked the south american country creating concerns of tsunami. >> the 8.2 magnitude quake rad

would the coast near a port city. >> it triggered landslides, power outages, damaged air parents and fires hit several businesses. five people have been killed, a state of emergency issued in the region. anti riot police and soldiers to prevent looting. >> there was a tsunami concern. the earthquake prone country was prepared for the worst. >> the powerful earthquake struck lately tuesday night when most were at home. within an hour, the first tsunami wave reached the coast. >> it has been posted for chili, ecuador and peru, the closest countries to the epicenter. the other one and there was a tsunami watch posted for panama

and costa rica. >> the epicenter was the most impacted, an area that in the last month had been rocked by hundreds of less powerful tremors. there were reports of fires and several people dying from heart attacks. chili's president was quick to declare a state of catastrophe, allowing her to send out the army to guarantee security and property, and especially to prevent looting. >> the tsunami alert was given immediately and we have seen an organized evacuation of homes and people. we have also learned about the unfortunate deaths of some people who's identities are being confirmed. >> tuesday's earthquake was about 20 volume terse below the sea bed, but the force felt across a large part of south america, including in the bo bolivian city. >> the curtains shook, it was

much bigger in comparison total last one. this has left cracks on buildings. i just went into my apartment to check if there is any damage. >> peru was also affected, buildings evacuated as a precaution. >> it scared me. i was walking on the pavement and i got dizzy. i saw people come out and i realized it was shaking. >> the area in the most danger is the coast of chili. the government issued a nationwide alert, hope to go avoid the same damage as in 2010, when an 8.8 magnitude quake triggered a tsunami that killed hundreds along coastal towns in the south. >> this time, the authorities were prepared. there had been a number of tsunami rehearsals, unlike most earthquakes, this was one people were expecting. aljazeera, santiago. >> throughout the 21s

21st century, few earthquakes have measured and eight or higher but when they have have done major damage. we have that port of the story. >> since 2000, there has been more than 300 recorded around the world, of those, only 15 of been eight or higher on the richter scale. one of the most recent ones happened on the coast of chili in february of 2000. it had a magnitude of 8.8 and claimed 525 lives, triggering a tsunami. it did damage as far north at san diego, california. the epicenter was about two miles off the coast in the south pacific ocean. another huge earthquake happened a year later near. >> upon, 9.0 on the richter scale, killing more than 18,000 people. it produced another deadly tsunami causing flooding and landslides. the epicenter of that one was

nearly 40 miles offshore. there was one earthquake that happened in the center of china in 2008. it was an 8.0 and took 70,000 lives. it left 5 million people homeless in the province and affected 15 million across the region. strong after shocks were felt for months and did damage. one of the most destructive earthquakes happened the day after christmas in 2004 off indonesia. it was a 9.1 and killed 300,000 people, mostly due to the monster tsunamis that came in the wake of the quake. it's considered one of the deadliest natural disasters ever, killing people in about 14 countries. stephanie. >> it puts things in perspective. we'll bring you the latest throughout the morning. >> a geo physicist joins us.

a tsunami warning was triggered, but nothing like we've seen before. what's the difference between a quake that triggers a massive tsunami and one that does not. >> there's many factors that determine whether a quake generates a tsunami. one is obviously the size of the earthquake, two of course is where that earthquake is located. in this case, the magnitude of the earthquake was much smaller than those that generated tsunamis. >> how often do earth cakes trigger tsunamis. >> that varies, it if it happens to be that it is shallow, and it's a matter of the size of the

earthquake and how the sea bed is formed. >> we are seeing smaller earthquakes in california, two just last week. there are warnings that this one in chili was not the big one, so how concerned should we be that there is a major quake about to happen somewhere soon? >> once in a while there is cases where you have a quake that's a sizeable one, followed by an even larger event, but that's not the norm. it does happen once in a while. unfortunately, scientists at this point cannot predict the occurrence of earth quakes at all, so as far as being able to predict weather we're going to have a larger earthquake following this one, that's really a matter of conjecture and basically there is no way we can tell that for sure at this time. >> i want to you address what maybe urgent -- urban legend or

may be fact. there are a lot of concerns that fracking leads to earthquakes. is there any truth to that speculation? >> yeah, definitely there are ways to induce earthquakes and that is by injecting or withdrawing fluids from the earth. these things can obviously change the composition of what's going on underneath the surface of the earth, so they can either lubricate faults or cause earthquakes to occur. this is a documented thing, but usually, these earthquakes are not the kind of earthquake size that you see like the one we had in chili just about 11 hours ago. usually those earthquakes are down in smallerring magnitudes, maybe up to magnitude five or so. >> thank you very much for being with us. stay with aljazeera america for continuing coverage of the earthquake in chili when we talk

about damages reporters are seeing on the ground. >> one day after getting grilled in the house, g.m. c.e.o. mary barra is set for round two today in front of the senate. she apologized for the failure to recall a defective ignition switched linked to dozens of crashes and at least 13 deaths. as tom ackermann reports for the first time, she is considering paying damage to get victims. >> families of those suspected of losing their lives due to defects in general motors cars attended hearings bearing pictures of their large loved once. many are victims of corporate crime. >> our daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, wives and husbands are gone because they were a cost of doing business g.m. style. >> g.m. c.e.o. mary barra met with accusers to apologize,

promising an independent investigation of why it took more than 10 years for g.m. to publicly admit the need to replace the faulty engine switch pitched caused the lethal power failures. >> we told the world we had a problem that needed to be fixed. whatever mistakes were made in the past, we will not shirk our responsibilities now or in the future. >> under repeated questioning, the veteran g.m. engineering executive said the switch still fell short of company specifications. the company which went bank result and received immunity for all cars built through 2009 as part of its government bailout was trying to avoid the expense of a proper fix. >> when g.m. concluded that the tooling cost and price pieces are too high, what does that mean? >> i find that statement to be very disturbing, as we do this investigation, and understand it

in the context of the whole time line. if that was the reason the decision was made, that is unacceptable, that is not all the way we do business in today's g.m. >> the head of the ntsb defended his agencies decision not to launch an investigation of the accidents, saying an unusual number of suspicious cases weren't seen in which many of the victims were not wearing seatbelts. without conceding legal liability, the company is signaling that it may already be looking for a settlement with the victims and their families. they hired the same high profile lour who handled compensation packages in the september 11 deaths, those in the b.p. oil spill in the gulf of mexico and the boston marathon bombings. >> let's go to randall pinkston in washington. there was a lack of specific answers at the testimony yesterday with that what can we

expect to learn today. >> i suspect we'll hear more lack of specific answers on the part of g.m. c.e.o. mary barra. she repeatedly said that g.m. has initiated it's own internal investigation and that she will wait until that investigation is complete before she provides any more specific details. she was pressed on why is it that you don't know the answers to these questions and that was always her response, that they have their own internal investigation, so i us suspect she'll be telling the senate panel the same thing. >> she did hint yesterday that the company is getting ready for any claims filed by victims. what more can you tell us about what the company's doing. >> she announced that the company has retained as a consultant kenneth feinberg, sometimes called america's arbitrator in chief. he's handled victim compensation funds for a number of disasters, including of course b.p. oil spill, katrina, and september 11

victims. feinberg, however, will not be overseeing a compensation fund for g.m. yet, because it doesn't exist. in a phone call to reporters, he said at this point, he has been retained to consider all options. barra herself also specifically did not say that they would establish a compensation fund, but acknowledges that g.m. has civic responsibilities and legal responsibilities and said that feinberg would help g.m. determine exactly what those responsibilities are. >> randall pinkston for us in washington, thank you. we will have much more ahead on the g.m. rahm at 7:30, focusing on the history of the company and the ignition switch problem plus an expert will tell us how g.m.'s new c.e.o. is handling the publicity crisis. >> secretary of state john kerry making a trip to jerusalem on monday days after the scheduled

release of palestinian prisoners was canceled. all of this has to do with a series of papers signed tuesday by the palestinian president that seemed to catch john kerry by surprise. >> these developments caught kerry and israeli officials by surprise. many wanted these to be signed but brought peace talks to the verge of collapse. they bring the palestinians into 15 organizations or treaties internationally, the highlights are the vienna conventions, 12 more on women and human rights. in the palestinian ice they put out a statement saying they protect and promote the basic rights for palestinians. when you ask palestinian officials what these do

ultimately, they say this is de facto state hood. around the u.s., around israeli, we are going to these international organizations to put ourselves on the international stage. what abbas argued last night, it was israel that broke its first promise by not releasing the prisoners over the weekend, now we are going to these international organizations. what he argued is that we are simply not willing to wait to join these international organizations any longer. >> we don't want to use this rise against anyone. we don't want to class with the u.s. administration. we are on good terms with all. u.s. is helping us, kerry's efforts of super. we didn't find alternatives. this is our rise. >> it's important to note these organizations do not include the united nations itself, or the international criminal court or the international court of

justice, which israelis accuse would be used to accuse them of war crimes. technically, he has thrown the ball into the israeli's court, forcing them to be the one to walk away from talks if that's what they do and forcing the israelis to make the next move. >> you know it's spring when the threat of hail and tornadoes is rising in the central plains. >> let's get a check of your national forecast this morning with meteorologist nicole mitchell. >> that risk over the next couple of days and believe it or not, the risk of another snowstorm with all of this. that's getting just a little bit, you know, cruel at this point in the year, this is a system we're watching over the next couple of days, already produced rain for the plains, will continue to do that. enough of a dynamic system that between the front and dry lands setting up, those are focal points for that uplift into the atmosphere you need to get the storms going. even outside of the severe weather, heavy amounts of rain especially today, anywhere from

missouri into illinois, and then the fact that we'll get more of this in similar areas over the next couple days. watch for the potential of flash flooding on interstates such as 70 as the ground gets saturated with more rain, which could be two inches starting today. minnesota it's more overnight. strong storms could include arkansas today. primary risk would be hail, but damages winds and tornadoes not out of the question. tomorrow, the risk goes up from slight today to a moderate risk, including st. louis or memphis added to that area. something we'll have to watch the next couple of days. is a mentioned, there's a snow side of all this. as this develops and you can see really the heavy corridor of rain coming through, as well, watch the north side of this, places like minnesota could get up to a foot of snow between thursday and friday. it just seems like a bad april fool's joke.

back to you. >> she did say snow, didn't she? >> she did, on april 2, there will be snow. >> fixing an industry with deadly problems. >> saving lives may be causing workersing bangladesh their life live hood, some losing their jobs because of safety crackdowns. >> tear gas and stun grenades used against protestors in greece. why thousands took total streets despite a ban on demonstrations. >> our big number of the day is 7.1. it has something to do with health care in this country.

>> 7.1 million is today's big number, the amount of people who enrolled for health insurance under the affordable care act. >> that followed a last minute dash by those getting coverage. 5 million people logged on to

healthcare.gov alone. >> 4.5 million previously uninsured adults signed up for medicaid, another 3 million stayed on their parents plans. >> it found 9 million people bought plans directly from insurers instead of using federal and state marketplaces. >> a boundary forced to close after international inspectors said the building was unsafe. nationwide inspectors began after a factory collapse last year. workers who were relying on a steady income now face an uncertain future. >> this woman and her husband started working in a factory 10 years ago. they built a decent live for themselves and their disabled daughter. last week, the factory was declared unsafe, both lost their jobs. >> my daughter is never well.

she always needs medication and treatment. it's very expensive. even if we don't eat, she needs to eat. now that we don't have work, i don't know how we're going to take care of her. >> this is the building where she and her husband worked. safety inspectors found structural faults here and ordered several fixes. the factory shut down, leaving thousands unemployed. >> the other companies in the building suspended operations while repairs are made. the manager here says it's a big blow for everyone. >> it's a problem for the owner, for us and the for the workers, of course. it's hurting our business now that we're closed. that's not good for our workers. >> the inspections are taking place for a reason. unsafe buildings have been the cause which some of the worst industrial disasters in bangladesh. last april, a building collapse killed over 1,000 workers.

>> we inspected 100 factories, about 100 now, and we've had a few cases where there had to have been significant weight reduction. >> inspection agreement requires factory owners to continue paying affected workers while renovations take place, but this woman has no idea if that will happen to her. what happens to this family shows fixing the troubled industry is not going to be easy. >> textiles are bangladesh's main exports. >> more than 3,000 flights are expected to be canceled by the end of the week as pilots walk off the job in a dispute over early retirement benefits.

it is one of the biggest in the company's history and expected to cost tens of millions of dollars. >> we'll get fresh clues on the health of the labor market with the report on private sector employment expected to show a gain in march. the quality of jobs is still a very big concern. >> we're seeing a 30 year low in terms of percentage of americans that are actually working, and that should be a concern for everyone. the other thing that we really have to pay account to is part time workers. we have a lot of people who want to work full time but they're working part time and that number spiked up to about 9 million workers during the recession. >> that is a prelude to the closely watched jobs report due out friday. >> dow futures are um 22 points, looking to build on yesterday's gains, starting at 16532. the s&p 18 fight five, the

nasdaq 4268. >> nikkei up 1%, and european markets higher. >> she was talking about snow, so lets find out about temperatures across the nation today. >> nicole mitchell is back. >> if we're talking about chances for snow and severe weather, you know there's a sharp temperature contrast. between lincoln and wichita, 34 versus 50 degrees. warm air ahead of the system, meaning temperatures will help fuel that potential for severe weather. >> crisis management mode for general motors. >> 13 deaths now linked to the problem the company knew about a decade ago. what the company's doing to make sure its brand does not suffer. >> everyone in the community is worried about what happens with a child who wouldn't know how to get back to their family or tell

anybody who they are. >> giving a voice to those who can't speak for themselves, new technology keeping autistic children safe and the problems that may go along with it. >> money, fame and championships are just three of the things some professional athletes play for. coming up, a red sox player who's motivated by something far more personal.

>> good morning, welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. >> i'm del walters. >> ahead, the public relations nightmare g.m. faces because of that delayed recall. we'll tell you how g.m. c.e.o. mary barra is handling the crisis. >> adversaries sometimes become partners to save an endangered species. farmers and environmentals are

working together. >> peace talks in the middle east, a former spy serving a life sentence here in the u.s. could affect the talks. >> an 8.2 magnitude earthquake history off chili, five people have been killed. it triggered landslides, knocked out power and produced six-foot high swells. hundreds of thousands evacuated coastal cities do to tsunami concerns. >> palestinians want the effort for peace in the in the middle east to continue. secretary of state john kerry had planned to be in ramallah for talks today, canceling the trip after palestinians leaders renewed their bid for international recognition. >> general motors c.e.o. faces a second round of testimony on capitol hill. kathleen sebelius ig.m. c.e.o. a apologized for g.m. not fixing the problem southeastern, said

the company is ready to handle future claims for victims. >> it has been a long road for general motors, starting in 2002. the company approved these ignition switches even though they did not meet company standards and then later, two years later, engineers wondered why cars could be turned off while driving, but decided the fix could be too expensive and take to long. amber marie rose dies in an accident, her car shutting off, the airbags not deploying. the ntsb investigates, but goes no further. later that year, g.m. warns its dealers about ignition problems but does not order a recall. then four months later, g.m. quietly approves a new design for its 2007 models, the chevy cobalt. meanwhile, dozens complained that their vehicles are shutting down. the government looks into it but sees no trend. three months later, the investigation is dropped. in the years to come, more die

and more complain about g.m. cars and g.m. declares bankruptcy. that prompts another review and in 2010, it does nothing. the next month, two more die. as of this date, 13 are dead and the lawsuits are piling up. g.m. finally issuing a recall in february, a full 10 years after the first problem was spotted. >> general motors is more than 100 years old. at its peak, it had 619,000 workers. those numbers, a lot smaller these days, but the company's performance still matters. >> launched in 1908 with a single caroline, buick motor company, general motors quickly expanded, impossible up competitors like olds mobile, and pant i don't think to become a dominant player. it hit the peak of its power in 1962, claiming a 50% share of the u.s. market. it went global in the 1980's an

1990's with 8 million g.m. vehicles sold worldwide in 1995. those numbers were in decline long before g.m. filed for bankruptcy in june, 2009, prompt ago $49.5 billion taxpayer bailout. the company that emerged may be smaller and leaner, but make no mistake, remains a powerful force in the global economy. today, the company employs 219,000 workers and a network of 4500 dealers worldwide. with 70% of sales now coming from outside of the u.s. in china, brazil, the u.k. and germany, g.m. brought in revenues of $155.4 billion in 2013. its stock remains widely held with nearly a thousand institutional investors, including banks, pension plans, mutual fund owners and insurance companies. in short, bad news for g.m.

could spell bad news for millions around the world. >> mary snow, aljazeera. >> general motors has a big public relations crisis on its hands. senior vice president at rooter fin, a top international p.r. firm joins us to get into that angle of the story. thanks for being with us. >> thank you for having me. >> let's listen more to the testimony that mary barra gave yesterday. >> today if there's a safety issue, we take action. if we know there is a defect on our vehicles, we do not look at cost associated with it, we look at speed in which we can fix the issue. >> she's talking about today, but the crux of that problem that g.m. has is about why it took so long to recall millions of cars when it knew about this defect a decade ago. did her testimony do anything to address that yesterday? >> well, i think for the most part, she's come ahead of this crisis. she's only been at the job for

three months, less than 100 days and inherited a lot of problems and is doing her best to minimize damage control. i think yesterday, her answers are fairly vague in the testimony. i think she sent a very powerful signal by appointing kenneth feinberg. who better to answer these -- take on the compensation issue. >> being the man in charge of the 9/11 compensation. >> the b.p. oil spill, the virginia tech crisis. he is a very serious and celebrated person in this field. it sense a message that g.m. is very serious handling this. >> she talked the legal and moral obligations she has. as somebody that advices c.e.o.'s in times of crisis, how do you balance that in the public eye, that need to address the moral issues at play here while knowing that your company is being sued left and right by victims and see families. >> i think she's made a lot of the right moves, come out and

spoke to the employees and said that she's serious being accountable. she did a video apology coming from the center, she met privately with the families. right after the testimony yesterday, she came out and spoke to the press and handled their very tough questions. she's talking about making sure that g.m. is going to be the new g.m., focused on putting the customers first. there's this discussion about the new g.m. customers first and the old g.m., about cost first. to the consumer, that doesn't matter. g.m. is just g.m. she just needs to come ahead of this and make sure that she's transparent. >> the new g.m. is a reference to post bankruptcy g.m., and there have been discussions coming up about compensation and the legal settlements that will ensue. ultimately, do you think this comes down to how much g.m. is willing to compensate the victims' families from a p.r. perspective? >> that's earn a part of it. i think the move with kenneth

feinberg was an important one and sends a powerful message, the other part is going to be about, you know, who is going to be accountable. once this investigation is over, who's heads are going to be rolling and who's going to be fired for this. i think it's really important that the buck stops with her and that she sends a powerful message that she's going to clean house and put safety first. she has already announced that there's a new head of safety. >> not only is she the first female c.e.o. of the first automakers, she has a deep background. do you think this is a new perspective and she'll be judged differently? >> this has been a very challenging tenure for somebody to start this job. she's been at g.m. for 30 years, but at this job less than three months. she's basically taken front and center and getting a lot of attention right now and i think she's handling the situation

very well, as well as could be. we'll see in the long term how she will be measured and viewed. >> thanks so much for being with us this morning, appreciate it. >> thank you. >> g.m.'s new government taking steps to end armed militia in the streets, vote to go block so-called defense groups from carrying weapons. the vote came as kiev police searched for militia's involved in the shootings on monday. the u.k. congress passing a bill triggering $2 billion in loans to ukraine, issuing sanctions on russia. >> foreign ministers meeting in belgium from nato discussing the military actions in ukraine. the 28 member coalition called russia's action the worst threat to europe in a generation. we are in before you see sems

with the latest. >> russia has started to make some of its first comments in response to nato's plan to bolter military efforts in eastern europe. the deputy prime minister of russia described nato plans as a practical joke. the special representative from russia to the alliance has also described the alliance of slotting into a cold war style mentality in dealing with security across the continent. the nato unfazed by these comments, what they are looking for is this, after nato's top military commander, general said they could take control of the whole east of ukraine, saying the situation is deeply, deeply worrying, the alliance very keen to make sure they are showing

russia that they are poised to handle any kind of threat, any incursion into nato space. >> a new senate report said the c.i.a. misled the government and public. the senate intelligence committee said they misrepresented its post 9/11 interrogation program to the justice department and congress for years. it reportedly hid details about how severe its methods were. the c.i.a. also overstated the significance of plots and prisoners. the senate report says it took credit for critical pieces of intelligence surrendered before being subjected to harsh techniques. >> flashes in greece after the e.u. approved another bailout for that country. police using tear gas to stop union workers from interrupt be the e.u. meeting.

an $11.4 billion bailout was approved. critics say the country is still suffering from austerity from the previous bailout. unemployment at this point is 27%. >> six people are dead in thailand after workers detonated a huge bomb today. police believe the exclosive device was possibly dropped during world war ii. construction workers were trying to take the bomb apart when it exploded. >> u.s. catholic bishops are calling for action. they gathered for mass tuesday in arizona along the u.s. border with mexico. hundreds of people attended the mass on both sides of a steel fence that divides the border town. during the service, boston cardinal made a plea for immigration reform. >> america at its best is not the bigotry of the knowing

nothings but general welcome of the might why woman with the torch, the statue of liberty in new york harbor. >> he offered commune i don't know through bars in the fence. the u.s. conference of catholic bishops launched its justice for migrant initiative in 2004. >> a programs note here about aljazeera america new original series border land tracks six americans retracing the footsteps of three migrants who died trying to cross into the u.s. >> new satellite images shaw the mud slide damage in washington state. march 31, images were taken, reds on tuesday. right now, the death toll stands at 28. twenty are still missing. >> tuesday, with floodwaters

receding, we got a close up view of the disaster zone. the washington governor said mud slide and flooding has caused $32 million in damage, including $10 million in emergency measures including rescues, shelter operations and the recovery effort. >> today is world autism awareness day. there is growing debate on how to keep children with autism safe. many are prone to wandering and can easily get lost. we look at new ideas to deal with that. these are the last known images of a 14-year-old alive. he was captured on closed circuit television walking out of his school on the fourth of october. authorities launched a huge search. three months later, the remains of his body were found in a river several kilometers from his school. >> everyone in the community is worried about what happens with a child who wouldn't know how to get back to their family and wouldn't know how to tell anybody who they are and what

they're looking for. >> studies show 50% of children with autism wantedder off. 90% of subsequent deaths are from drowning. a new york senator is proposing legislation and a federal program that would pay for g.p.s. devices. >> making voluntary tracking devices available will save precious lives and put parents minds at ease. >> this man has sole custody of his autistic son. alex disappeared recently for several hours. >> all of a sudden, alex comes walking into the building with eight police officers, and this little older woman who lives down the street in a townhouse. apparently he had been walking towards second avenue. she knew him from the neighborhood but didn't know where he lived. >> afterwards, he attached tags on his show with his name and phone number to call.

he san diego padres the idea of a tracking device said it's difficult, but many autistic children don't like things touching their skin or clothes. >> he will take that right off. it's a sensor issue. it's not for him, allot of kids don't like tags on their shirts. >> a monitor is one approach for wandering children with autism, along with support for their families. >> happy endings can come down to sheer luck and the kindness of strangers. >> in our next hour, there are a lot of programs focused on children with autism. we'll look at how hard it is for them to fit in when they grow up. we'll talk to a neurologist about why more people are being diagnosed with autism. >> the democratic primary conceded to the challenger as federal prosecutors accuse gray of illegal fundraising to win the d.c. mayor's race in 2010. he denies wrongdoing.

bosser currently a council member. >> getting ready for the final four. if wisconsin wins, walker will be sent a fully stocked kentucky bourbon bar. this is one of those points i think they need to get together and share. >> i'll take the bourbon. >> bourbon and brats sounds good. >> you can't have both. it's tough for the player who has to replace a team's star. >> john henry smith joins us right now. he wanted to weigh in. >> should you include some pepto bismol with all that. over seven seasons ago, ellsbury

became an all-star and popular player for the red sox. he is gone to the rival new york yankees, but not forgotten. the man who would replace him is motivated each day by someone close to him who is gone but not forgotten. jessica taft has the story of jacki bradley, jr. >> just three years removed from selected by the red sox 40t 40th overall in the draft, jacki has a chance to do something most 23-year-old's could only dream of, has a shot as being the center fielder for the defending world champion red sox. >> i can't wait for the lineup card to be up, but it's great. it's a great, you know, team to be around. the atmosphere is great. the fans great, it's something that i've always wanted to be a part of, something so special, and at a young age, that's just a bonus. i've been, you know, very fortunate, and very blessed and hopefully i'm here to stay.

>> whether he can make it as a starter or role player off the bench will likely be determined if the kid named after singer jacki wilson could make music at the plate. >> he's going to get plenty of play time. i think it's a matter of if he continues the at-bats from late last year. he's going to have ample opportunity to demonstrate where he's at. >> which is why you see him spending so much time around david ortiz, one of the best hitters in the game. >> are you trying to think maybe osmosis can play a little bit? >> if that's the case, i need to be at his back. hopefully all the preparation and stuff is going to play out well. >> it's a great young talented player. last year, he learned a lot of things. he knows what it takes to play at this level. since he came over mentally

prepared, because physically, he's always good to go, and like happened to all of us. it's a learning process. >> he's a guy who likes to live in the present, doing everything he can to make sure he's on the field for the champion defending red sox. he doesn't forget the past and reminds himself every time he steps to the plate. >> with his bat, he marks two letters in the dirt for a guy who died in a car accident. >> m.s., he was like to brother to me, passed away right before i signed, it was kind of, you know, a representation of he's always got my back, you know, we were very close. just to see life cut so short definitely puts a perspective on things, just being able to appreciate life in general, and to be able to do what you want that you dreamed of doing every single day. >> right now, jacki bradley, jr. is living the dream with his friend along for the ride in

spirit. jessica taft, aljazeera. jacki bradley, jr. did not start the season opener. he did pinch-hit in the ninth, though. he struck out. >> from enemies to partners. >> farmers who once destroyed we had lands helping conservationists create new ones. >> ajazeera america,

take a new look at news., >> lady liberty for the first time in a long time does not need an overcoat and boots. but that could change. >> a partnership to save an endangered species.

>> here is our meteorologist, nicole mitchell. >> she might want to trade for the rain gear instead of snow gear, because there is rain coming through. to the west coast, this has been beneficial rain, a lot of the -- march should have been one of our wetter months for california, still dry conditions, so the rain is coming in. winter driving hazards in the higher elevations. the rain is coming. already a lot of rain in places like ohio. today, midsection of the country, the risk for not only severe weather but heavy rain and floods. >> every spring, millions of birds migrate through california but the state suffering a severe drought. many of the we had lands have dried up. we have more on how farmers and

coffer servationists are joining forces. >> an hour north of sacramento, the landscape is a patch work of farm fields. this is the state's bread basket. it's also home to one of the most important resting stops for millions of migratory birds. a migration route stretches from the arctic to south america. more than 230 species, including several listed as endangered depend on this land for survival, but the water fowl, raptures and shore birds are finding the we had lands are largely dry, thanks to increased farming and the drought. >> there were 4 million acres of wetlands here. today, only about 250,000-acres remain, lost to farmland that is drying up. >> the loss of this much

habitat, from 40 million birds on the pacific fly way to somewhere around five or 6 million birds. >> the loss of the birds isn't only a concern for conservationists, farmers need the birds to naturally work the fields. >> the birds actually do a lot of tillage, as you can see in the field, they kind of stomp the rice in the ground and they're perking, it kind of mixes everything up at that. >> to bring the birds back, you've got to bring the we had lands back. that is what the nature conservancy is doing. under a new pilot program, the farmers agreed to keep their rice field, some 10,000-acres flooded a few months laryngthis season, creating pop up we had lands when and where the birds need it most. >> what we're doing in the central valley matters for farming and feeding people around the world, also we have an obligation and a role to play

in the pacific fly way supporting the birds. if we work together, it will be better for the bids and farmers. >> farmers who in large part of responsible for the disappearance of the we had lands are now helping to bring them back. >> this project is a good example of the nature conservancy really thinking about our work and what our farmers do very differently. instead of thinking as adversaries, making them partners in the solution. >> it's a win-win situation. >> later in april, stone's fields will be dry and the birds now rested and fed will be ail to continue their long journey north with the hope that next year, they'll be back. >> aljazeera, california. >> there are 10,000-acres of pop up we had lands in california's central valley. if successful, conservationists hope to use the model across the country. >> ever wonder why zebra's have stripes? >> no. >> california scientists say

they have the answer. a new study shows the black and white pattern keeps flies and mosquitoes away, apparently disrupting their vision. university of california researchers did not observe it in the wild but have analyzed previous data. so we can put that to rest. >> now we know. thank you. >> chili rocked by 8.2 magnitude earthquake that struck off the northern coast, sparking fears of a tsunami and causing thousands to evacuate. >> the floodwaters receding in washington state, allowing crews to search for the remaining victims. 28 are dead, 20 missing. >> the g.m. c.e.o. mary barra facing a second day of questions on capitol hill about the delay of recall of cars involved in deadly accidents. >> your personal information for sale to whoever has the money to buy it. the businesses that are offering up your info and why the government has done little to

regulate them. >> i'm meteorologist nicole mitchell, the risk for severe weather and even another snowstorm. i'll have that forecast. >> the aljazeera morning news continues in two minutes.

>> a powerful earthquake kills six in chili. the damage is surveyed this morning. >> president abass has given his word he will keep his agreement and he intends to negotiate through the end of the month of april. >> mideast peace talks on the verge of collapse after a

defiant move by the palestinian president. >> the consumer has the right to say i want off that list. >> the personal information of americans up for sale to the highest bidder, a multi-billion dollars industry, almost entirely unregulated by the government. >> he shares his life with others, and he brings others joy. >> in helping the voiceless speak up, the tools some of the more than 1 million young americans diagnosed with autism are being given to help them communicate. >> good morning, welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. residents in chili are getting a better look this morning at the damage from the powerful earthquake that rocked the country last night. the quake roled the country's

northern coast near a port city. six people have been killed. it triggered land slides, power outages and forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents in low lying coastal cities due to early tsunami concerns, the country was ready for the worst. >> the powerful earthquake struck tuesday night when most were at home. the mining port less than 100 kilometers from the epicenter was the most impacted, an area that had been rocked by hundred was less paul tremors in the last months. following the quake were reports of fires and several people dying from heart attacks. the president was quick to declare a state of catastrophe in the regions, allowing her to send out the army to guarantee security and property and especially prevent looting. the earthquake was shallow, 20 kilometers below the sea bed, but its force felt across a

large part of south america, including in bolivia. >> it was strong and moved when i was sitting down. the curtains shook. it was much bigger in comparison total last one. this has left cracks on buildings. there are lots. i just went into my apartment to check if there is damage. >> peru was affected. the authorities evacuated buildings as a precaution. >> it scared me. i was walking when the pavement and said to myself what is happening. i got dizzy and saw people come out and reads it was shaking. >> chili issued a nationwide alert, hope to go avoid the same kind of damage as in 2010 when an 8.8 magnitude quake trigger add tsunami that killed hundreds along coastal towns. >> unlike four years ago, some time the authorities were prepared. there had been a number of tsunami rehearsals in the port city, showing unlike motor earthquakes, this was one that

people were expecting. >> joining us via skype is joseph, the editor in chief of the santiago times. what are you hearing from reporters on the ground? we've been maintaining contact with sources in the affected areas in the north over the course of the night. the latest reports are that the tsunami warning has been officially lifted. before that, the alert had been on for more than 10 hours for some areas in the north. wet reports of widespread power outages, also structural damage, also that was denied by the interior ministry of their being major structural damages. we're getting reports and seeing pictures via social media of houses with severely damaged walls, stores in disarray, broken street lights, but speaking to people on the

ground, something that we have noticed for more than one source is a sense of calm after the initial shock. it seems like the warnings were given out within 10 minutes of the earthquake. peel had time to evacuate. mostly, they followed that, those orders. after the initial scare, there was a sense of calm from a lot of people, although i imagine it was a scary night for many. >> did you feel it and if so, what did you feel? >> in santiago, we're ruffle 1,800 kilometers south of the epicenter. personally, i didn't feel anything here. we also are a long way from the ocean, so we weren't concerned about the tsunami which was the major concern for most people. speaking to people who were in the epicenter or near the epicenter, it was violent. it was a very strong earthquake. objects were falling, lights went out for a long period of time in major cities.

there also are reports initially of looting, although it seems that public order has been maintained, but there was despite the fact that many were calm about it, there were also others who were concerned, given the lack of power and also issue early reports of public disturbances. >> also, they're saying that this may not be the big one, and that a bigger quake is predicted. is there a feeling right now where you are that this time they were prepared and that they are prepared in case that big one does hit? >> absolutely. speaking to some people, actually today, i can say anecdote ally some people told me when the earthquake hit tonight, they were exactly where they were two weeks ago when another minor either quake triggered a tsunami alert. they sort of went through the motions that they practiced with two weeks earlier. the north has been shaking for a couple of months. the last two weeks, it has been

more than 200 significant tremors. everyone was on alert, the emergency services had recently over the weekend and late last week increased surveillance from earthquake equipment. there is a feeling that people right down to the local level, but also government services were coordinating better this time around than they did four years ago and people were just generally not willing to take the risks of hanging around and more than 900,000 people actually evacuated to secure areas. we were recently told a few hours ago to many of them they could go home after a long night. >> he is the he had door in chief for the san diego times, joining us via skype from santiago. >> a surprise decision by the palestinian leader to join

international groups caught the u.s. and israeli off guard. some believe abass is using that as leverage against israel. aljazeera's nick shiffrin is in jerusalem. how is that affecting talks? >> this is something that the majority of palestinians definitely support, but they have brought the talks to the brink of collapse. he has joined the palestinians into 15 international treaties or organizations, the heights of which are for gentlemen they've. >> conventions, the vienna conventions. there are 12 more on that list, rights of children, and the rights of the disabled. palestinian officials have done to to protect and promote the basic rights of palestinian civilians. when you talk to officials, ask them what this mean, this is de facto state hood, this is us

joining the international community with the u.s. or israel stopping you us. what abass did not do is join the united nations, international criminal court, those are things israel fears the palestinians could use against them and accuse them of war crimes. while abass has done something he promised not to do so long as the talks are going, he has gone less far than he could have. that is what the u.s. is trying sue seize on to keep them at the table. he is taking the initiative, forcing the israels to walk away if these talks end. >> has there been an israeli reaction so these developments so far? >> this is really interesting, no. there has been zero reaction from the israeli side officially to these developments. the reason that is is one, they were surprised, so they're scrambling to see what they should do.

abass that grabbed the leverage. the officials need to figure out what to do. they think they don't respond tit for tat, they force the u.s. to bring abass back to the table or back from what he said last night or come up with some third party solution. the israelis don't feel pressure to respond directly. they feel if they sit back and wait, they benefit from that. >> nick shiffrin in jerusalem for us, thank you very much. >> one key element of the talks seems to be the release of the america convicted of spying for israel, jonathan pollard, that decision facing sharp criticism in washington. we'll look at his potential release. >> it is round two for g.m. c.e.o. mary barra. she will go before the senate to talk about the botched recall over faulty ignition switches. she was at a hearing tuesday. she apologized repeatedly to the families of 13 victims who died in those crashes as a result of

defective switches. we have more from the hearings. >> do you swear that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? >> it was a grilling by outraged members of the house energy and commerce subcommittee on oversight. >> what you just answered is gobbledygook. it's your company's specification. if a part doesn't meet the specification, why would you not refuse it? >> congress wants to know why g.m. installed faulty ignition switches in their several lay cobalt cars and why the company didn't act when consumers and technicians reported problems with engines turning off, power steering and airbags failing, linked to at least 13 deaths. >> i just want to show how easy it is to turn this key in this switch. if you had a heavy key chain like my mom key chain or if you

had -- if you were short and you bumped up against the ignition with your knee, it could cause this key to switch right off. >> despite their questions, members of congress heard a repeated refrain from g.m. c.e.o. mary barra that she wouldn't have abcs until the company finishes an internal investigation. >> you don't know why they didn't replace the switch? >> i do not know the answer that's why we're doing this investigation. >> given the complaints about ignitions turning off while driving, why wasn't this identified as a safety issue? >> again, i can't answer specific questions at that point in time, that's why we're doing a full and complete investigation. >> barra is a second generation g.m. employee but only at the helm since january. she says the company has changed from a cost culture to a customer culture, a sign of that, the just-created new position to oversee global vehicle safety. a representative called that underwhelming. >> i'm talking about responded

and even liability. is the company responsible? >> the new g.m., is it responsible? >> we will make the best decisions for our customers recognizing that we have legal obligations and responsibilities, as well as moral obligations. >> it wasn't just the g.m. c.e.o. under pressure with that congress is asking buy the national traffic safety administration failed to act sooner. >> what is the problem? did g.m. not report the information that the allow required or did the team not understand the problem? >> the team wasn't able to see a significant enough trend or clear enough defect. >> the questions continued wednesday when the senate takes a turn digging into what the federal government and g.m. knew about the company's problems. aljazeera, washington. >> randall pinkston is in washington on what the company

may be doing to compensate victims. barra limited yesterday that g.m. is getting ready for claims that could be filed. >> we have retained kenneth signburg as a consultant to help evaluate the situation and recommend the best paths forward. as civil responsibilities and legal responsibilities, we are thinking through exactly what those responsibilities are, and how to balance them in an appropriate manner, bringing on mr. feinberg is the first step. >> what more can you tell us about what steps they are taking? >> well, let's say what they have not yet done. g.m. has not yet established a compensation fund. in part, they don't have to because the legally protected recall that they received a federally guaranteed bankruptcy protection some years ago, so they don't have to establish a compensation fund, but they are being advised by members of congress that they should do it. now, as barra indicated, feinberg he is retained as a

consultant. if a compensation fund is established, of course feinberg has the expertise to run it. he has doled out or advised billions of dollars of compensation for victims of 9/11 of the b.p. oil spill, of hurricane katrina, of the shooting victims at -- >> we have had problems and lost randall pinkston for now only satellite wise. >> the n.s.a. confirming it has searched americans calls and emails without wants in a letter to the senate intelligence committee. the director of national intelligence said the nsa used a back door loophole in the law to screen communications, not saying how many searches have been done or when they took place. senator wyden said it is unacceptable. >> a new satellite image shows the deadly mud slide in washington state, taken march 31

by digital globe satellite and reds on tuesday. right now, the death toll at 28, 20 missing. >> with the floodwaters receding, there is a close up view of the destruction. coming up, inside the disaster zone. >> parts of the u.s. facing increased risk for severe weather, including it is spring and that means tornadoes. let's turn now to nicole mitchell. good morning. >> we ever all the elements in place over the next couple of days there could be a threat. a potent section in the midsection of the country is if you know he will go in moisture. you need that, so the system in general even outside the severe threat very moist. then we have the hot air helping fuel the storms and triggers, like the dry line we'll see over the next couple days that gives the lift that you need to get storms going. again, outside of the severe weather, still seeing heavy areas of rain today and on the north side of this, areas of snow, so we could have flood

concerns. then we get to the severe stuff, the primary threat tornadoes. little rock and st. louis, definitely be aware and keep your eye to the sky. then, as all of this brews, a lot of warm air on the south side that helps with the thunderstorms, but on the north side, it's snow starting to pick up. so some today in the dakotas, by tonight, tomorrow and friday, minnesota accounted see over a foot of snow possible. a lot of places six-inches or more doesn't seem like we should be getting this in april. back to you. >> nicole, doesn't indeed. >> russia accusing nato of having a cold war mentality and brussels hitting back, severing ties with moscow over tensions in ukraine. >> violence erupts in greece as

protestors and police clash in the countries capitol. the new fiscal measures that are fueling anger on the streets.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. as we have been reporting, secretary of state john kerry canceling his trip to ramallah today after a surprise move by the palestinian president. that move and a tougher stance by israeli putting the peace process on the verge of collapse. to salvage talks, the u.s. had been considering releasing jonathan pal lord, convicted of spying for israeli in the 1980's. we explain why he is such a lightning rod. >> jonathan j. pollard is a hero to some in israeli and the units, to may be others, a traitor. he was sentenced to prison for life for selling u.s. intelligence secrets to israeli. he had access thanks to his job as a civilian intelligence analyst for the u.s. navy. a supporter of israeli, he said he was trying to protect his spiritual homeland from attack. prosecutors said some of the

material he stole ended up at kremlin, putting u.s. national security at risk. the government lawyer who conducted the damage assessment calls the pollard case one of the worst he's ever encountered. in a recent speech said pollard should never get early release. >> he's a person trying to make money. he took so much information to the israelis that they had to install two high speed copiers in an apartment to take care of everything that he brought them. >> bollard supporters including prominent government officials and academic in the u.s. and israeli say he acted out of love for israeli. they also say the 29 years he has already served is more than enough punishment. >> nobody's ever excused his crime. he did what he did was wrong and he made a plea bargain with the government, which the government violated. >> now bollard, who is slated for parole in 2015 could be

freed sooner in exchange for the release of palestinian prisoners and to keep the peace talks alive. the question is whether the u.s. will undermine its commitment to the rule of law. aljazeera, washington. >> a professor of international relations in middle east studies at new york university joins us. good morning. >> good morning. >> jonathan pollard has been described as the edward snowden of the 1980's and yet they were considering releasing him. is this an act of debts operation? >> i think pretty much the negotiations haven't been going well at all from the time it started. to suggest that his release is going to really make a huge difference, i think is being naive at best. >> given the latest moves by the palestinians and the fact that secretary of state john kerry canceled his trip to ramallah

today, is it safe to say that the peace talks have collapsed completely? >> i don't think they have collapsed completely but if they continue for the next six months or even a year, i do not personally believe that it is going to yield the kind of agreement that the united states is hoping to achieve, because i don't think both leaders, either netanyahu or ambassador himself can deliver the kind of concessions necessary in order to reach an agreement. >> it has been said that secretary of state john kerry wants the peace process more than either of the two sides. do you agree with that assessment? >> well, certainly the two sides want peace and the united states would be happy to mediate that, but i think he's misassessing the fact that united states ought to be playing greater role in terms of the kind of pressure needed to be put on both sides and only united states can do so in order to move them closer to

achieving some kind of an agreement. >> why do you say that both sides want to achieve peace when they have gone at it for so long and both seem to jump at the opportunity to do what it takes to not achieve a peace agreement? >> because in reference to the fact that the people, that is israelis and palestinians themselves, there's a majority persistently would like to end the conflict, but i don't think you have the leadership at this juncture in israel or the palestinian that are able to be willing or deliver. it's been 65 years going on. to suggest that the releasing of jonathan pollard at this juncture is going to make a real difference, i think it's, you know, greatly exaggerated and that's not going to happen. >> what's fascinating is the main party that may wind up agreed over the last 48 hours is the white house that somehow manages to anger the people in

his own party, senator feinstein saying she disagreed with any talk releasing him. was this a bad move on the part of the white house? >> i think it's a bad move, just think in those terms, if it's going to take his release just to extend the negotiations for another six months or a year, what's it really going to take to make the kind of concession necessary to produce enough? the parties themselves need to commit themselves to reaching an agreement. i don't think that commitment exists at this juncture. >> i want to show you what the son tore said. she said it's one thing to release him after an agreement is reached, but another to set him free before that has happened. is jonathan pollard no longer the bargaining chip that the united states once had? obviously it is a chip that they will use going forward. >> they can use it, but you to have look at it in the context of the larger picture.

how much his value is today, that is if he if his release is going to extend the negotiations, what are going to happen subsequent to that? >> i don't think much a big deal has been made out of his release, keeping him in prison. easy going to be, you know, par roled within a year, so why is it becoming so important? i don't think his release should be a precondition to anything, particularly since the negotiation is not going to really change much unless there's a change in attitude by the parties themselves, specifically netanyahu and abass. >> >> we are going to check temperatures across the nation. >> you can see a big divide between the midwest and southern portion of the plains with the frontal system and risk for

severe weather. you go from 20's to 60's, ahead of where that front is in the sect tore of the warm air, you can see a big contrast. that's part that have change. that warm air through the course of today into tomorrow will help be part of the fuel for the severe weather we're expecting. look at temperatures, definitely warm as we get to cities like memphis, which could be under the gun, 78 degrees today. >> we are going to take you inside the destruction of that washington state mud slide. aljazeera america gets a ground level ewe of the debris and damage in oso. >> our code of ethics would say you can annual share that information. >> the business of selling your information, why it's proving to be so profitable for data brokers. >> the surge in autism, 15 years ago, the disease affected one in 10,000 children. now it's one in every 68.

>> catching tiger by the tail, why golf's number one player will miss his first masters in a very long time.

>> you're looking at lady liberty on this wednesday morning, as spring finally has sprung in some parts of the country. welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. >> ahead, aljazeera gets a firsthand look at the devastation from the mud slide in washington state. >> your personal information up for grabs, going up on the on line if the price is right. >> secretary of state john kerry blasting moscow over its latest gas hike against ukraine during a speech today at an energy summit in brussels, saying the u.s. would not let russia use energy as a ploy in its standoff with ukraine. >> no nation should use energy

to stymie a people's aspirations. it should not be used as a weapon. it's in the interests of all of us to be able to have adequate energy supplies, critical to our economies, security and prosperity of our people. we can't allow it to be used as a political weapon or as an instrument for aggression. >> moscow renege on an energy deal struck with viktor yanukovych late last year, proposing raising gas prices by 40 percent in ukraine. kerry and e.u. officials are working on alternatives for their natural gas supply. >> nato moves to break ties with moscow over its military actions in ukraine, the result a suspension of all military cooperation with moscow and increasing its military presence in eastern and central europe. russia's action called the worst threat to europe in a generation. ned barker has the latest on the

developments. >> russia has started to make some of its first comments in response to nato's plan a bolter military efforts in eastern europe. di mitt tee, the deputy prime minister of russia described nato plans as a practical joke. the special representative from russia to the alliance has also scribbled the alliance of slotting into a cold war style mentality in dealing with security across the continent. nato, unfazed by these comments, what they're looking for are deeds, this after natos top military commander general phillip breed love said that russia could within a period of three to five days, if it wished, take control of the whole of eatern ukraine. he says the situation is deeply, deeply worrying, but the alliance very keen to make sure that they are showing russia that they are poised to handle

any kind of threat, incursion into nato space. >> six people dead in thailand after workers dead nateed a large bomb today. police believe the explosive device was possibly dropped during the second world war. construction workers were taking the bomb apart when it expleaded. >> the e.u. approved a bailout in athens. police using tear gas to stop a disruption of an e.u. meeting. greece will receiver a payment of $8.6 billion in april from the bailout. unemployment right now is 27%. >> venezuela's president hitting back at critics blaming him for violent protests gripping his country. he lashed out at anti-government

protestors and the white house for trying to interrupt the countries democratic process. he writes: he says the u.s. is on the 1% side who wishes to drag our country back. he said: >> op ed coming at protestors clash with riot police, aim to go regain control of the streets in caracas, firing tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators. anti-government protests are responsible for the deaths of 39 people. >> aljazeera cameras are getting a close up look at the damage caused by the mud slide in

washington state. we have a tour of some of the hard-hit areas. >> are we good, ready to go? >> yep. >> all right, great. >> it's the first time we've been this close. rich burke leads us past the staging area towards the slide, talking of the many hazards still out there. >> nobody gets to come out of the field until they are decontaminated. we don't want tetanus. we've had a little dysentery. folks are kind of working in a septic tank of material. >> the whole thing blew out of the mountains, far across the river and then came rocketing down through the valley. this is the western edge of the slide, where highway 530 ends. >> all of that slurry material and water and mud and slime kind of sloshed up on the hill and came back down rest. there are areas here still 60-80 feet deep. >> one of the things that strikes you is the on the

outside of this thing for a week and a half, but just think of all the folks who have been here every day working in this environment. >> all these folks have real jobs that they go back out to. the chief is a mason and carpenter, the assistant chief runs an he quest rein facility. they were born and bread here. the strength is what's going to hold this community together. it's amazing. >> we talked to a man named steve bloom who lives that way. he said that all of a sudden, he lived on a dead end road with a huge cemetery at the end of it. that's the cemetery. >> as the recovery work continues non-stop, symbols of strength have emerged, a tattered flag pulled from the muck, another brought in by locals and hung at half staff on

the only surviving cedar tree in this sector of the slide. >> after having a chance to get in, see this and walk terrain, just a little bit, the lesson is nature and gravity wins. no matter how how many beings might have contributed, keep coming back to nature trumps. aljazeera, oso, washington. >> the governor said the mud slide and flooding caused $32 million in damage. that number includes $10 million in emergency measures including helicopter rescues, shelter operations and the on going recovery effort. >> there is breaking news on the jobs front in business news, 191,000 private sector jobs were created in march. february's number was also revised higher by 39,000 to 178,000. hopefully this shows more growth to come. that report is a prelude to the

government's month jobs report due friday, but not always an accurate predictor. >> dow futures are you will, 18 points after that report. the dow at 16532, the s&p 1885. the nasdaq at 4268. yesterday's rally spilling over to i-is that, markets ending on a high note, make kay up 1%, hitting a new three week high. european markets higher today. >> google investors will soon own twice the shares at half the price. shareholders will get two shares for every one that they own. the old shares will trade under a new symbol. the new class c. shares will keep the company's current ticker g.o.o.g., but class c. shareholders have no voting

power. >> every time we go on line, visiting our favorite websites or apps, we blindly share all of our personal information. businesses out there compile data and routinely sell it to anyone who wants it, but the government has done little to regulate what is now a multi-billion dollars industry. we tell you more about data broke jeers at the world's largest major security conference in san francisco, the buzz was about keeping your data safe from spam both and an assorted array of other cyber threats. the executive director of the world privacy pour rum said the real threat isn't only what hackers and thieves steal, it's also what we hand over about ourselves voluntarily, often unwittingly every single day for free. >> these guys are really good as keeping threats away, but that doesn't mean companies can't buy and sell our information at

will. >> all that gets pushed into a big giant information soup, and what comes out at the other end is a profiling of individual consumers. self improvement and health wellness offers. >> at her office in san diego, dixon showed us pro finals or lists many of us end up on. >> here is a list that says alcohol drinkers-adult. do i really want my name on this list? if i'm an alcohol drinker. >> america tonight contacted exact data, chicago based data broker without asking us why we needed them, they greed to sell us all kinds of lists, the name, homes and email addresses of people who use on line dating services. gamblers and sufferers of erectile dysfunction. we decided not to buy the list,

but you get the idea. aljazeera could purchase deeply private information about tens of thousands of unsuspecting individuals, access some fear could be bought by anyone. >> rachel is the chief lobbyist for the trade group representing data brokers. >> are you aware of a company called exact data in chicago? >> not off the top of my head. >> we called exact data and they basically offered to sell us lists of all kinds of private, sensitive information. >> i can't speak to that particular situation, but i think there's more to the story, very likely. our code of ethics would say you can only share that information, it can only be purchased for marketing purposes. >> exact data didn't require any proof we were marketers before selling us the data. the company declined our request

for statement. >> i want to make sure that if there is some kind of information that's out there on any list, that a consumer that the right to say i want off that list. >> aljazeera. >> this evening on "america tonight" part three of our series," your secret's out" about child predators and giving them exact location of children. >> it is like thanksgiving without turkey, easter without the bunny, the masters without tiger? >> don't forget halloween without candy. >> fourth of july without fireworks. >> you thought it was an april fool's joke, it was not. tiger woods is going to miss the

masters instead of competing for another green joint account, recovering from the because surgery he had earlier this week to rare a punched nerve. when the masters start april 10, tiger won't be there competing for the first time in 20 years. in a statement, he said his statement is to return to competitive golf this summer. he remains at 14 wins in a major. jack nicholas believes tiger can equal or best the golden bear's mark of 18. >> i think he'll blow by my record. i really do. i still do. you look at him, he's 38 years old, he has got another 10 years of playing, he only has to win five. that's not a big task for somebody as talented as he is, then again, you've got to ever your health and mentally, you've got to be fit. good gracious, it's been six years since he's won, something like that. >> doctors say the typical recovery time for the back surgery he has undergone is just over four months.

the u.s. open starts in just over three months. >> derek jeter farewell tour got rolling tuesday in houston as the yankees and astros became the last two teams to open their seasons. jeter managed to get hit by a pitch. on his first plate appearance of the year, where is the respect? c.c. sabathia i can't gave up more runs than any other major league pitcher last year, gang for that top spot again. 4-0 astros in the first inning. second inning, sabathia pores more gas on the fire, six runs and houston beat the yankees 6-2. dodgers in san diego, first inning, one on, puig, gone for a home run. l.a. would survive a late rally to hold on for a 3-2 win.

>> in soccer, the so-called friendly match today between the u.s.a. and mexico isn't sounding to friendly. you see two potential team u.s.a. players played for the mexican club. when they asked for permission to join team u.s.a. for today's game, they said no. this game is the final audition for players to make their case to be on team u.s.a. before the world cup. this could damage both players. >> we're always excited to play against mexico, that's our biggest rival, and it's not a game where you need to try to fire people up or get people motivated. this is one that really speaks for itself. guys know what it's about. >> it's a big game, one last step to go in may and another opportunity to perform well in front of the coaching staff. >> world cup will be here before we know it.

that's sports for this hour. >> tiger not being at masters like labor day without labor. >> you're on a roll. >> autism diagnosis rising, 30% just the last two years. we'll talk about the factors behind this incredible rise.

>> start with one issue education... gun control... the gap between rich and poor... job creation... climate change... tax policy... the economy... iran... healthcare... ad guests on all sides of the debate. >> this is a right we should all have... >> it's just the way it is... >> there's something seriously wrong... >> there's been acrimony... >> the conservative ideal... >> it's an urgent need... and a host willing to ask the tough questions >> how do you explain it to yourself? and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5 eastern only on al jazeera america al jazeera america. we understand that every news story begins and ends with people. >> the efforts are focused on rescuing stranded residents. >> we pursue that story beyond the headline, pass the spokesperson, to the streets.

>> thousands of riot police deployed across the capital. >> we put all of our global resources behind every story. >> it is a scene of utter devastation. >> and follow it no matter where it leads - all the way to you. al jazeera america, take a new look at news. >> welcome to al jazeera america. just ahead, we're going talk about the simple task we face on a daily basis that pose serious challenges for adults living with autism. >> first, let's look at rain and snow that could fall across the country today with nicole mitchell. >> very active weather pattern out right now. everything from snow in places like north dakota and better chance for that tomorrow into minnesota, wisconsin for friday, some heavy stuff potentially to the moisture moving toward the east coast, california, we've

been getting beneficial rain and for areas 3,000 feet and above could be snow. you might have to use winter driving skills. the rain moving through the east coast could make it all all the way to the coastline, places like pittsburgh picking up some of that. you can see that heavy rain already in missouri. that's going to be a potential today, including severe weather. you like the colorful weather terms, so a lot of rain could be a strong strangler today. >> today is world autism awareness day. one in 68 children have some form of autism in the u.s. every year, 50,000 kids turn 18. parents say they enter a world that is less for giving and less supportive. learning to integrate into the communities. >> are you ready? >> ready. >> one, two, three! >> for 26-year-old michael,

music is all the way he communicates best. one of his many talents is singing scat in many different languages. ♪ ♪ >> you would never think that somebody with autism could do that, but he is superb at doing it. >> it is communicating in ways most people find normal. >> well done, michael, that's doing great. >> but doesn't come in any way naturally to michael. >> autism is known as social communication disorder, one of the things that's central to autism is having trouble understanding drawing inferences about what another person thinks and feels. we take for granted how quick and easy it is for us. >> dr. jeffery fox runs abilities first, one of a number of agencies helping outistic duties live as independently as possible, like assisting 22-year-old paul with shopping. >> what else would you like to go get? >> with the recent centers for

disease controls study showing autism is on the rice. those working with it say society must change to accept autistic duties into the community. >> they interpret the world differently. what's motor important is for employers to understand there's value in what folks can do and we may need to look beyond some of the atypical behaviors. >> while paul is gaining lifestyle skills through shopping, michael works on a farm during the week. >> all right, good job. >> he also has a small job. >> i did this drawing many years ago. >> eric is were you ever michael's house mates, a 42-year-old man with autism is also a gifted artist. what may seem like a simple conversation for motor people is something eric has to work on constantly. >> i can hardly make out with

that. >> it's also something michael struggled with oral on. >> the biggest surprise was my son now enjoys being with people and he gives to others. >> proof is in this video, michael singing and dancing with a group of senior citizens. >> we're so used in our cult tour judges things by our standards and our sense of normality. it's so engrained in us, we don't realize we're doing it. >> back at home, michael writes to his sister, rachel. >> dear rachel, how are you? i'm fine, thank you. >> people with autism, they have their own version of reality, their own version of normality,

and it's not better than ours or worse than ours. people with autism have an enormous amount to offer to us. >> i'm having the best day of my life. yeah, cool. >> aljazeera. >> oh, yeah. >> oh, yeah. dr. specializing in autism joins us. >> good morning. >> autism on the rise. back in 1999, we were looking at one in 10,000 school aged children diagnosed with autism and 2004 climbed to one in 1,000 and two years ago one in 88. right now, it's one in 68. why are we seeing those numbers increase? >> you'll hear a lot of people saying that part of it is that we're better at diagnosing it. in my book i wrote last year, i examined this and showed that

maybe 45% of the increase going from one in 10,000 to now one in 68 or one in for it two boys can be explained really through improved diagnosis or early recognition or changes in diagnostic criteria, but 60% of the increase is unexplained, which leads us to believe that there are more individuals that actually have autism. if that is the case, then the only thing that can explain that is environmental factors. >> is there a silver lining to those numbers if there might be one in the fact that now on this seventh year for autism awareness day, we're talking about it and 10 years ago, we were not? >> absolutely. one of the things that myself and many others have talked about is just trying to rise awareness of these numbers and that they're increasing. you can't go anywhere now where there isn't a family for somebody impacted by autism, where even 10 years ago, very few people ever saw anybody that

was autistic or had autism. now it impacts every aspect of life. if you're really going into the schools and speaking with teachers, this is a real issue and there are more people that have this. we really need to be looking at it. especially if environmental factors are driving it, wimp means we might be ail to prevent it and we maybe able to reverse this in many cases. >> what environmental factors are we talking about? >> there be a wide variety. i identify risk factors. we're talking about things that elevate the risk of somebody having a chance, of having a child a autism or other disability. many are what we call lifestyle, diet, exercise or a lack of exercise or spend ago lot of time in front of screen time, stress hormone levels, but there's a variety of them, like expose tour pesticides, the age of the father, the age of the mother.

there was study that came out a couple of weeks ago showing fathers over 46 have an elevated risk of having a child with autism of 300% over another male that's 24 years old. women over 35. the overall health of the mother and father. hypertension, those all elevate the risk of having a child with autism, as well as drugs, flu viruses, there are a lot of them. >> what can be done to better identify autism and i guess understand what it is. >> well, that's one of the areas of my research. i spent a lot of time trying to understand what's happening in the brain. if we don't understand what out touch is in the brain, then we really can't understand what's causing it or how to treat it or prevent it. what our research has been able to show is the problem is really with what we call functional connectivity in the brain where

certain areas of the brain are not talking about to each other and there seems to be a developmental delay in the right side of the brain with non-verbal social communication and repetitive behaviors. it doesn't just restrict itself to the brain, but also affects the body. we know there are die jessive issues, immune issues, nutritional problems, so there's a lot of things that really come into play, and when we start to understand what's happening to the brain, then we understand that we can do things that might be able to improve this connection between airs of the brain, that it's not a permanent damage, and that much research has shown that in many cases, people completely recover from autism symptoms. >> doctor, thank you very much. that will do it for this edition of aljazeera america. we want to look at that initial damage and response to the earthquake off the coast of chili. we'll have more on that disaster

and other headlines straight ahead in just two minutes.

>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ ♪ >> hello, welcome to the news hour. i'm jane dutton in doha. top stories from around the world. a series of explosions rock cairo university. the blast happened as students forced running battles with security forces. at least six police officers are killed by a suicide bomber in afghanistan. a massive earthquake off of chile's coast, tsunami warnings are lifted after thousands are ordered to evacuate.